Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Neisseria gonorrhoeae, also known as gonococci (plural), or gonococcus (singular), is a species of Gram-negative coffee bean-shaped diplococci bacteria responsible for the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea. This disease is resistant to some antibiotics. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than two million people in the United States get infections that are resistant to antibiotics and at least 23,000 people die as a result. Over-prescription of antibiotics leads to antibiotic-resistant germs.